AUTHORS: Nikolaos Depountis, Maria Vidali, Katerina Kavoura, Nikolaos Sabatakakis

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ABSTRACT: It’s widely known that the procedures of soil erosion are affected by a number of physical and human factors and are appeared with different intensities in different places. However, the spatial and temporal scales of these procedures are still poorly understood. Therefore, the control and prediction of soil erosion and deposition are a complex and difficult task. It is necessary to improve the understanding of these procedures, taking into account their quantitative expression, in order to be able to analyze the impacts of soil erosion. In the current study, an effort to estimate potential annual soil loss has been conducted with the use of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) adopted in a Geographical Information System (GIS) framework and applied at the water reservoir’s basin of Pineios earth-filled dam, Western Greece. Data entry of the RUSLE factors in GIS resulted to the estimation of annual soil loss equal to SE=23.39 t/ha. A significant amount of this volume has been deposited in the dam’s water-reservoir resulting in the perennial dysfunction of the dam.

KEYWORDS: Soil erosion, water reservoir, earth-filled dam, RUSLE, GIS, erodibility, prediction

REFERENCES:

[1] Armstrong, M.P., Densham, P.J., Database organization alternatives for spatial decision support systems, International Journal of Geographical Information Systems, Vol.4, 1990, pp.3-20.

[2] Arnoldus, H.M.J., Methodology used to determine the maximum potential average annual soil loss due to sheet and rill erosion in Morocco, FAO soil bulletin, Vol.34, 1977, pp.39-48.

[3] Benkobi, L., Trlica, M.J., Smith, J.L., Evaluation of a refined surface cover subfactor for use in RUSLE, J. Range Manage, Vol.47, 1994, pp.74–78.

[4] Biesemans, J., Van Meirvenne, M., Gabriels, D., Extending the RUSLE with the Monte Carlo error propagation technique to predict long term average off-site sediment accumulation, J. Soil Water Conservation, Vol.55, No.1, 2000, pp.35-42.

[5] Burrough, P.A., McDonnell, R., Principles of Geographical Information Systems, New York, Oxford University Press, 2000.

[6] Depountis, N., Lainas, S., Pyrgakis, D., Sabatakakis, N., Koukis, G., Engineering geological and geotechnical investigation of landslide events in wildfire affected areas of ilia prefecture, Western Greece, Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece, Vol.43, No.3, 2010, pp.1138-1148.

[7] Desmet, P.J.J., Govers, G., A GIS procedure for automatically calculating the USLE LS factor on topographically complex landscape units, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Vol. 51, No.5, 1996, pp.427-33.

[8] Diodato, N., Estimating RUSLE's rainfall factor in the part of Italy with a Mediterranean rainfall regime, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Vol.8, No.1, 2004, pp.103-107.

[9] Fernandez, C., Wu, J.Q., McCool, D.K., Stockle, C.O., Estimating water erosion and sediment yield with GIS, RUSLE and SEDD, J. Soil Water Conservation, Vol.58, 2003, pp.128–136. WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ENVIRONMENT and DEVELOPMENT Nikolaos Depountis, Maria Vidali, Katerina Kavoura, Nikolaos Sabatakakis E-ISSN: 2224-3496 462 Volume 14, 2018

[10] Hickey, R., Slope Angle and Slope Length Solutions for GIS, Cartography, Vol.29, No.1, 2000, pp.1-8.

[11] Hyeon, S.K., Soil erosion modeling using RUSLE and GIS on the Imha watershed, South Korea, MSc Thesis, Colorado State University, 2006, p.131.

[12] Jianguo, M., Combining the USLE and GIS/ArcView for Soil Erosion Estimation in Fall Creek Watershed in Ithaca, N.Y, 2001.

[13] Jose, L., Garcia, R., Martin, C., Suarez, G., Historical review of topographical factor, LS, of water erosion models, Aqua-LAC, Vol.2, No.2, 2010, pp.56-61.

[14] Karydas, C.G., Sekuloska, T., Silleos, G.N., Quantification and site-specification of the support practice factor when mapping soil erosion risk associated with olive plantations in the Mediterranean island of Crete, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Vol.149, No.1-4, 2009, pp.19-28.

[15] Kinnell. P.I.A., Risse, L.M., USLE-M: Empirical modelling rainfall erosion through runoff and sediment concentration, Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol.62, 1998, pp.1667-1672.

[16] Kirkby, M.J., Soil Erosion, Wiley, Chichester, 1980.

[17] Kirkby, M.J., Irvine, B.J., Jones, R.J.A., Govers, G. and PESERA Team, The PESERA coarse scale erosion model for Europe. Model rationale and implementation, European Journal of Soil Science, Vol.59, No.6, 2008, pp.1293-1306.

[18] Koukis, G., Sabatakakis, N., Lainas, S., Depountis, N., Skias, N., Engineering geological investigation of heavy-rainfall induced landslides in wildfire affected areas, Western Greece, Proceedings of the 11th IAEG Congress, Auckland, New Zealand, pp.331- 338, ISBN 978-0-415-60034-7.

[19] Kouli, M., Soupios P., Vallianatos, F., Soil erosion prediction using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) in a GIS framework, Chania, Northwestern Crete, Greece, Environmental Geology, Vol.57, No.3, 2009, pp.483-97.

[20] Lopez-Vicente, M., Navas, A., Predicting Soil Erosion with RUSLE in Mediterranean Agricultural Systems at Catchment Scale, Soil Science, Vol.174, No.5, 2009, pp.272-82.

[21] Marcel S., Cebecauer, T., Hofierka, J., Fulajtar, E., Erosion assessment of Slovakia at a regional scale using GIS, Ecology (Bratislava), Vol.21, No.4, 2002, pp.404-422.

[22] Mati, B.M., Morgan, R.P.C., Quinton, J.N., Soil erosion modelling with EUROSEM at Embori and Mukogodo catchments, Kenya, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, Vol.35, No.5, pp.579-588.

[23] Merritt, W.S., Letcher, R.A., Jakeman, A.J., A review of erosion and sediment transport models, Environmental Modelling and Software, Vol.18, 2003, pp.761-799.

[24] Morgan, R.P.C., Quinton, J.N., Smith, R.E., Govers, G., Poesen, J.W.A., Auerswald, K., Chisci, G., Torri, D., Styczen, M.E., The European Soil Erosion Model (EUROSEM): A dynamic approach for predicting sediment transport from fields and small catchments, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, Vol.23, No.6, 1998, pp.527-544.

[25] Renard, K.G., Foster, G.R., Weesies, G.A., Porter, J.P., Revised universal soil loss equation, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Vol.46, 1991, pp.30-33.

[26] Renard, K.G., Freimund, J.R., Using Monthly Precipitation Data to Estimate the R Factor in the Revised Usle, Journal of Hydrology, Vol.157, No.1-4, 1994, pp.287-306.

[27] Renard, K.G., Foster, G.R., Weesies, G.A., McCool, D.K., Yoder, D.C., Predicting soil erosion by water: a guide to conservation planning with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), Agriculture Handbook, No.703, USDA-ARS, 1997.

[28] Richter, G., Aspects and problems of soil erosion hazard in the EEC countries, in Prendergast, A.G. (ed.), Soil Erosion, Commission of the European Communities, Report No. EUR 8427 EN, 1983, pp.9–17.

[29] Terranova, O., Antronico, L., Coscarelli, R., Iaquinta, P., Soil erosion risk scenarios in the Mediterranean environment using RUSLE and GIS: An application model for Calabria (southern Italy), Geomorphology, Vol.112, No.3-4, 2009, pp.228-245.

[30] Wischmeier, W.H., Smith, D.D., Predicting Rainfall-Erosion Losses from Cropland East of the Rocky Mountains, Agriculture Handbook, No. 282, 1965.

[31] Wischmeier, W.H., Smith, D.D., Predicting rainfall erosion losses, a guide to conservation planning, Agriculture Handbook, No. 537, 1978.

[32] Yoder, D., Lown, J., The Future of RUSLE: inside the new revised universal soil loss equation, J. Soil Water Conservation, Vol.50, No.5, 1995, pp.484–489.

[1] Armstrong, M.P., Densham, P.J., Database organization alternatives for spatial decision support systems, International Journal of Geographical Information Systems, Vol.4, 1990, pp.3-20.

[2] Arnoldus, H.M.J., Methodology used to determine the maximum potential average annual soil loss due to sheet and rill erosion in Morocco, FAO soil bulletin, Vol.34, 1977, pp.39-48.

[3] Benkobi, L., Trlica, M.J., Smith, J.L., Evaluation of a refined surface cover subfactor for use in RUSLE, J. Range Manage, Vol.47, 1994, pp.74–78.

[4] Biesemans, J., Van Meirvenne, M., Gabriels, D., Extending the RUSLE with the Monte Carlo error propagation technique to predict long term average off-site sediment accumulation, J. Soil Water Conservation, Vol.55, No.1, 2000, pp.35-42.

[5] Burrough, P.A., McDonnell, R., Principles of Geographical Information Systems, New York, Oxford University Press, 2000.

[6] Depountis, N., Lainas, S., Pyrgakis, D., Sabatakakis, N., Koukis, G., Engineering geological and geotechnical investigation of landslide events in wildfire affected areas of ilia prefecture, Western Greece, Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece, Vol.43, No.3, 2010, pp.1138-1148.

[7] Desmet, P.J.J., Govers, G., A GIS procedure for automatically calculating the USLE LS factor on topographically complex landscape units, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Vol. 51, No.5, 1996, pp.427-33.

[8] Diodato, N., Estimating RUSLE's rainfall factor in the part of Italy with a Mediterranean rainfall regime, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Vol.8, No.1, 2004, pp.103-107.

[9] Fernandez, C., Wu, J.Q., McCool, D.K., Stockle, C.O., Estimating water erosion and sediment yield with GIS, RUSLE and SEDD, J. Soil Water Conservation, Vol.58, 2003, pp.128–136.

[10] Hickey, R., Slope Angle and Slope Length Solutions for GIS, Cartography, Vol.29, No.1, 2000, pp.1-8.

[11] Hyeon, S.K., Soil erosion modeling using RUSLE and GIS on the Imha watershed, South Korea, MSc Thesis, Colorado State University, 2006, p.131.

[12] Jianguo, M., Combining the USLE and GIS/ArcView for Soil Erosion Estimation in Fall Creek Watershed in Ithaca, N.Y, 2001.

[13] Jose, L., Garcia, R., Martin, C., Suarez, G., Historical review of topographical factor, LS, of water erosion models, Aqua-LAC, Vol.2, No.2, 2010, pp.56-61.

[14] Karydas, C.G., Sekuloska, T., Silleos, G.N., Quantification and site-specification of the support practice factor when mapping soil erosion risk associated with olive plantations in the Mediterranean island of Crete, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Vol.149, No.1-4, 2009, pp.19-28.

[15] Kinnell. P.I.A., Risse, L.M., USLE-M: Empirical modelling rainfall erosion through runoff and sediment concentration, Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol.62, 1998, pp.1667-1672.

[16] Kirkby, M.J., Soil Erosion, Wiley, Chichester, 1980.

[17] Kirkby, M.J., Irvine, B.J., Jones, R.J.A., Govers, G. and PESERA Team, The PESERA coarse scale erosion model for Europe. Model rationale and implementation, European Journal of Soil Science, Vol.59, No.6, 2008, pp.1293-1306.

[18] Koukis, G., Sabatakakis, N., Lainas, S., Depountis, N., Skias, N., Engineering geological investigation of heavy-rainfall induced landslides in wildfire affected areas, Western Greece, Proceedings of the 11th IAEG Congress, Auckland, New Zealand, pp.331- 338, ISBN 978-0-415-60034-7.

[19] Kouli, M., Soupios P., Vallianatos, F., Soil erosion prediction using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) in a GIS framework, Chania, Northwestern Crete, Greece, Environmental Geology, Vol.57, No.3, 2009, pp.483-97.

[20] Lopez-Vicente, M., Navas, A., Predicting Soil Erosion with RUSLE in Mediterranean Agricultural Systems at Catchment Scale, Soil Science, Vol.174, No.5, 2009, pp.272-82.

[21] Marcel S., Cebecauer, T., Hofierka, J., Fulajtar, E., Erosion assessment of Slovakia at a regional scale using GIS, Ecology (Bratislava), Vol.21, No.4, 2002, pp.404-422.

[22] Mati, B.M., Morgan, R.P.C., Quinton, J.N., Soil erosion modelling with EUROSEM at Embori and Mukogodo catchments, Kenya, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, Vol.35, No.5, pp.579-588.

[23] Merritt, W.S., Letcher, R.A., Jakeman, A.J., A review of erosion and sediment transport models, Environmental Modelling and Software, Vol.18, 2003, pp.761-799.

[24] Morgan, R.P.C., Quinton, J.N., Smith, R.E., Govers, G., Poesen, J.W.A., Auerswald, K., Chisci, G., Torri, D., Styczen, M.E., The European Soil Erosion Model (EUROSEM): A dynamic approach for predicting sediment transport from fields and small catchments, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, Vol.23, No.6, 1998, pp.527-544.

[25] Renard, K.G., Foster, G.R., Weesies, G.A., Porter, J.P., Revised universal soil loss equation, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Vol.46, 1991, pp.30-33.

[26] Renard, K.G., Freimund, J.R., Using Monthly Precipitation Data to Estimate the R Factor in the Revised Usle, Journal of Hydrology, Vol.157, No.1-4, 1994, pp.287-306.

[27] Renard, K.G., Foster, G.R., Weesies, G.A., McCool, D.K., Yoder, D.C., Predicting soil erosion by water: a guide to conservation planning with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), Agriculture Handbook, No.703, USDA-ARS, 1997.

[28] Richter, G., Aspects and problems of soil erosion hazard in the EEC countries, in Prendergast, A.G. (ed.), Soil Erosion, Commission of the European Communities, Report No. EUR 8427 EN, 1983, pp.9–17.

[29] Terranova, O., Antronico, L., Coscarelli, R., Iaquinta, P., Soil erosion risk scenarios in the Mediterranean environment using RUSLE and GIS: An application model for Calabria (southern Italy), Geomorphology, Vol.112, No.3-4, 2009, pp.228-245.

[30] Wischmeier, W.H., Smith, D.D., Predicting Rainfall-Erosion Losses from Cropland East of the Rocky Mountains, Agriculture Handbook, No. 282, 1965.

[31] Wischmeier, W.H., Smith, D.D., Predicting rainfall erosion losses, a guide to conservation planning, Agriculture Handbook, No. 537, 1978.

[32] Yoder, D., Lown, J., The Future of RUSLE: inside the new revised universal soil loss equation, J. Soil Water Conservation, Vol.50, No.5, 1995, pp.484–489.